Probably a good number of UK DDs heading to Extremadura this year.

1. Road trip

Sledge: I'm thinking of organising a road trip for travelling to Caceres in July for Debconf 9. If you're interested in joining me, please add yourself below. The details so far are:

1.1. Trip out: dash down through France

2009-07-22

• ~04:00 Leave Cambridge and drive to Dover
• 06:00 Ferry from Dover to Calais, landing ~8:30
• 08:30 Drive down through France, get to Le Mans (rough area) ~12:30 for lunch
• 13:30 Continue south, cross into Spain at the coast.
• 20:00 Stop in San Sebastian for the night

(Eli also suggests stopping off to visit her en-route between Le Mans and San Sebastian, maybe even staying there.)

2009-07-23

• 11:00 Leave San Sebastian and drive down to Caceres
• 18:00 Get to Caceres (depends on time spent for lunch etc.)

1.2. Debconf!

1.3. Trip back: more leisurely tour in Spain

2009-07-31

• ??:?? Drive to Madrid, spend one night there

2009-08-01

• ??:?? Drive up to Bilbao, spend one night there

2009-08-02

• 13:00 Ferry from Bilbao to Portsmouth overnight

2009-08-03

• 17:00 Drive up from Portsmouth to Cambridge
• ~20:00 Back in Cambridge

I'm expecting fuel costs of ~GBP 300 for the trip; the ferry including a 4-berth cabin costs ~GBP 370. And there are 3 overnight hotel stops: 1 out and 2 back. Assuming reasonable prices for sharing hotel rooms, I'm estimating a cost per person of *roughly* GBP 300 to GBP 400 per person for the travel. It'll be more expensive than the train or plane options, but it includes more sight-seeing and a couple of post-Debconf days in Spain. I'm in for the road trip, and Neil says he probably is too.

1.4. Interested people

I'm wanting to book by the middle of April, so don't take too long.

Sledge: 2009-05-12 now booked for the first 4 people above.

2. Train

Organising trains

Ian Jackson is suggesting the following: Wookey is going out this way too (but returning a different way)

July 2009 Wed 22nd

• 12:15 Cambridge £19.10
• 13:03 London King's Cross
• 14:04 London St Pancras £51
• 17:26 Paris Nord £1.30
• 19:46 Paris Austerlitz £65 (4berth sleeper, individually bookable) £99.50 (2berth sleeper, bookable in pairs)

Thu 23rd

• 09:10 Madrid Chamartin £included
• 09:55 Madrid Atocha £23
• 13:49 Caceres

£159 or £194 door-door

Debconf

Thu 30th

• 09:25 Caceres
• 12:51 Madrid Atocha
• 13:30 Madrid Atocha
• 16:54 Barcelona Sants
• 17:25 Barcelona Sants
• 20:07 Cerbere
• 21:21 Cerbere

Fri 31st

• 07:30 Paris Austerlitz
• 09:13 Paris Nord
• 10:36 London St Pancras
• 10:45 11:15 London King's Cross
• 11:31 12:01 Cambridge

As you see I'm leaving a day early - this is because I have another con to go to in Cambridge.

The times above are provisional (I used the dates in April rather than July as bookings are not yet open for travel in July) but something along very similar lines should be possible. I have done a similar journey before - to Seville - and it worked well apart from spending slightly too much time sightseeing in Madrid on in the afternoon, and catching the once-a-night sleeper to Paris by two minutes - shaving it much closer than I intend to repeat.

The return via Barcelona is for (a) variety and (b) to avoid hanging around in Madrid all afternoon. There is the following alternative:

Thu 30th

• 9:25 Caceres
• 12:51 Madrid Atocha
• 19:00 Madrid Chamartin

Fri 31st

• 08:27 Paris Austerlitz
• 10:13 Paris Nord
• 11:28 London St Pancras
• 11:45 London King's Cross
• 12:31 Cambridge

If you have the time and inclination to do some actual sightseeing in Madrid you could stay an extra day there.

3. Flying from <foo> to Madrid, train from there

For some people it's going to be easier to fly part of the way, but it would be nice to meet up and do the last leg of the journey together. If you're interested in doing so add your details below.

3.1. Ireland

JonathanMcDowell aims to fly from Dublin (there are no direct flights to Madrid from Belfast) for DebConf - out on Thursday 23rd and back on Friday 31st. Options seem to be Aer Lingus, Iberia or Ryanair.

3.2. London

Neil Williams (codehelp) - flying from Plymouth to London, London to Madrid - meeting Noodles in Madrid to take the train to Extremadura. No definite times yet - likely to be flying in to Gatwick so a flight out of Gatwick to Madrid would be my preferred choice. (Turns out that these flights are rare and more expensive than Heathrow, so likely to be flying out of Heathrow with a 1.5hr bus journey between.)